Start with the sentence
Choose the owner stem using the small reference below, then use the standalone table. References to a determiner table mean the separate forms before a noun; that table does not replace this one.
Keep the owner and the noun separate
| Owner / reference | Possessive stem |
|---|---|
| ich | mein- |
| du | dein- |
| er | sein- |
| sie (Singular) | ihr- |
| es | sein- |
| wir | unser- |
| ihr | euer- / eur- |
| sie (Plural) | ihr- |
| Sie | Ihr- |
Use a pronoun when the noun is omitted
Compare Das ist mein Rucksack with Der Rucksack dort ist meiner. The second form replaces the noun phrase rather than introducing a following noun. Masculine nominative therefore needs meiner, not bare mein. For a neuter noun: Das ist mein Handy. Das Handy dort ist meins. meines is also possible.
The table below is for standalone forms in three common cases. Apply the same distinction to other stems: dein Rucksack → deiner, dein Handy → deins. Some endings coincide with determiner endings. The endingless determiner forms in masculine nominative and in neuter nominative and accusative need an ending when used as standalone pronouns. Do not copy the first table blindly when the noun disappears.
| Case | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | meiner | meins / meines | meine | meine |
| Akkusativ | meinen | meins / meines | meine | meine |
| Dativ | meinem | meinem | meiner | meinen |
Check euer, eure and formal Ihr
The informal plural owner is ihr, with possessive euer: Ist das euer Zimmer?. Before an ending, the common forms use eur-: eure Wohnung, euren Rucksack, mit eurem Handy. Do not confuse this with ihr Zimmer, which can mean her room or their room.
Formal Sie takes capitalized Ihr-: Frau Nguyen, ist das Ihre Tasche?. The case ending still follows the noun: Ihr Termin, Ihren Termin, mit Ihrer Kollegin. Capitalization marks formal address; it does not remove agreement. An answer about yourself changes the owner: Ja, das ist meine Tasche.
Practise with the context
State the owner and the noun’s gender before each answer. Decide separately whether the noun remains in the sentence.
Ist das dein Handy? – Ja, das ist ___.
Show answer and reason
Ja, das ist meins. meines also works. The neuter noun is omitted, so use the standalone form.
Ist das dein Koffer? – Ja, das ist ___.
Show answer and reason
Ja, das ist meiner. der Koffer is masculine. With the noun omitted, nominative meiner replaces the whole noun phrase.
Apply the pattern to a complete question or answer
Recover the omitted noun from the context before choosing the pronoun. In Dein Koffer ist hier; ich suche noch meinen., the second Koffer is omitted, but the phrase still has the accusative role after suche. In Mit welcher Tasche fährst du? – Mit meiner., mit still requires the dative. The following checks keep the intended noun and owner explicit.
Try further contextual checks
1. You are the speaker of ich and mean your own suitcase. Omit the repeated noun: Dein Koffer ist schon hier. Ich suche noch ___.
Ich suche noch meinen.
The known noun is der Koffer. The speaker chooses mein-; the omitted masculine accusative phrase uses meinen.
2. You mean your own bag and omit Tasche: Mit welcher Tasche fährst du? – Mit ___.
Mit meiner.
The known noun is die Tasche. Mit requires dative; the standalone feminine form is meiner.
3. Answer about your own books, without repeating Bücher: Sind das deine Bücher? – Ja, das sind ___.
Ja, das sind meine.
Bücher supplies plural reference. The standalone nominative plural form is meine.
Start with the topic overview
German possessive forms: mein, dein and the right ending · Find another grammar topic
Questions about this topic
Are Possessivartikel and Possessivpronomen different topics?
Some teaching materials use Possessivpronomen for both. The useful distinction is their job: mein before a noun introduces a noun phrase; meiner or meins can replace one. Check which function a table describes.
Can I use meins before a neuter noun?
Use mein Handy when Handy follows. Use meins or meines when the known neuter noun is omitted: Das Handy dort ist meins. Do not transfer that standalone -s to the determiner.
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